Pride and Happiness
by gemsofformenos
Summary: Gift 6 of my personal gifting season I have started to give something back to authors, who have inspired my work the most. Without them I wouldn't write the way I do. - Lin is walking on the beach alone at night to get her thoughts in line. There is something new between her and Kya and she doesn't really know whst to do.


**Hello everybody. This will be the last one of my personal gifting season and I'll end with another author, who has made a great impression on me.**

**For 627-OrganizedChaos**

**I vividly remember your comments and support for 'Storm In Your Head' and so I stumbled over your own fanfiction, which is rooted in the Avengers universe so far. I'm not as deep in this universe as you are, but your writing style and the choice of themes have instantly caught me. The way you write the characters is awesome and as I told you in some reviews, I love this pinch of humor you also add so naturally in my opinion. Another aspect is the fast pace you can create at action scenes as well, this was and is truly impressive to me. Another aspect which really impresses me is your strength, courage and kindness. Your wonderful character has made a great impression on me and it has influenced my writing lately a lot and I am so thankful for it. It is an honor to me, that I got the chance to know you a bit better. I hope to read much more from you in the future. You are wonderful the way you are.**

**I have tried a bit to write some of the LoK characters lately and in the story Lin and Kya have been a couple. This idea hasn't let me go and so I take this chance here to write some fluff for this couple. I hope you'll like this story.**

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**Pride and Happiness**

Lin didn't know, when she had started to recognize it, but as she did, she suddenly saw some of her old memories in a new light. It was confusing and frightening, but it was also comforting and welcomed, but in the end it has lead to an awkward situation and now she feared the consequences, still she had decided to face these, no matter where it would lead her. She was a BeiFong. She wouldn't run away from troubles. She would face them, as ever.

She was wandering around the beach of the temple island to get her thoughts back in line. Lin had dared to ask her friend this evening. She had asked Kya, why she had done this. The question had driven her out of her room. Now Lin was wandering along the beach in the light of the full moon cursing herself for her clumsy words.

The earthbender's look was facing the wet sand, where the waves were kissing the shores tenderly. Why haven't she seen it earlier. Kya had always been there at her important moments. The good ones and the dark ones.

She remembered the squeezing hug, but also the little fear in the blue eyes of the waterbender, as she had passed the tests to become a police officer. She was there to celebrate her fist success in her career, her first own and solved case and at every important promotion.

But she was also there to catch her up. Anytime.

She was there at her breakup with Tenzin, taking her side, helping her trough the pain and lonely nights, listening patiently to her spitted hurt and anger, enduring her swinging moods just as well as she ignored her tries to bottle things up, completely. Kya helped her to deal with the pain, worked through this cloak of isolation and misery layer by layer to bring her back on her feet.

She had been there as she cut the ropes with Suyin and her mother. She had accepted Lin's decision to keep her wounds on her cheek untreated by her. Why hadn't she seen the pain and hurt in Kya's eyes back at these days. Why hadn't she seen the hidden truth behind it?

Kya had hold up the contact, even as duties called her back to her mother. And the waterbender came back as Korra and the others needed her and she stayed. Lin had always thought she stayed for the family and of course for her friends, the old ones and the new ones, but now she had realize, that Kya had also stayed for her. Not only as a friend.

The earthbender took a deep breath and watched down the beach. She stopped walking and her eyes shoot wide. Lin noticed another figure walking towards her in the distance. It was a well known silhouette, she hadn't seen for a while. Toph was walking along the beach as well and a smile was on her lips as she had reached her daughter, who was chewing nervously on her lips.

"How is the moon tonight?"

The old woman took alittle break and waved with her hand before her eyes.

"You know I can't tell if it looks nice or not."

Lin released an defeated huff. She didn't know how her mother was able to find her at the worst moments and honestly she had no intention to have any sort of talk with her. Not now, when her own mind was so messed up. Not when she hadn't even make up her own mind about this new situation.

Toph released a sad sigh and to Lin's surprise she gave her daughter a little hug and took seat on the beach, tapping with her hand beside her to offer Lin the chance to take seat beside her. Against her former intention, she did so and the warm smile of her mother gave her a strange feeling.

"It was never easy for me to have an open talk with you, but this time I think it's needed. What's the matter Lin?"

A simple question, with a simple answer... on first sight.

A week ago the triads had launched an assassination attempt on her, because some of her own investigation had come too close to some really powerful men in the crime swamp of Republic City. She didn't really remembered what has happened, but it must have been a car bomb. The visions of her rescue were blurry, but two things she could remember clearly. Kya frantically working with her healing skills at her and her friend kissing her lips in desperation, crying at her not to give up.

This vision had been still burning in her mind, as she woke up in hospital, seeing the relieved, but red cried face of her friend at her side. Kya had fought for her life.

For the person she loved.

This moment had changed everything. Kya had acted as ever, not knowing, that Lin had noticed her kiss. But the waterbender has noticed the new tension, but she referred it to the shock. It has been a shock for Lin, but she couldn't take this uncertainty anymore. And this evening at another healing session, she had dared to talk about it.

And now everything was much more complicated.

Lin noticed her mother observing her with blind eyes. It elicited another huff from Lin, while she crossed her arms before her chest.

"Nothing, mother."

Sadness rushed over Toph's old face. Lin's mother turned her head towards the ocean.

"You're a good liar, Lin, still not good enough for me."

Lin bit hard on her lip, but Toph surprised her again, as the old woman pulled her daughters head towards her shoulder, ignoring the little discomfort Lin felt and showed at stiffening at her touch.

"I haven't been the best mother Lin, we both know that, but I was always there, when it was really important. So this week and so now."

Lin stayed quiet, but she felt her lip slightly tremble. Toph started to fondle the woman's hair.

"Remember, the question is not, what others may think about it, or what I think about it. The question is, how do you feel about it. What do you feel, now that you finally know, that Kya loves you?"

Lin took a sharp breath and stared at Toph in disbelief. Her mother released a little chuckle. She couldn't see Lin's baffled face, but she had definitely noticed her reaction.

"It has been obvious for me since years, but I didn't want to interfere. This is something between you and Kya."

This quote finally loosened Lin's tongue.

"So why do you interfere now?"

Toph ignored the little offense in her daughters words, placing her hand on the scared cheek of the woman.

"Because I don't want to see you hurt again."

Lin felt her anger rising. Kya would never hurt her. She, Lin BeiFong was the only person, who was hurting others. She had hurt Kya with choosing the totally wrong approach to talk things out. She had hurt her, by letting her question sound like an accusation.

'Why have you kissed me in hospital?'

Lin would never forget this cold shock in Kya's eyes. The draining color from her face and the trembling hands. Kya had dropped the water she had used for healing on the floor in shock. The hot shame and pain has burned like molten iron in Lin's guts in this moment. Why couldn't she have chosen another moment, different words or an less accusing sound of her voice. Why had she made Kya feel with this sentence like she had done something wrong, when she hadn't.

Lin jumped up from the ground, her voice trembling in anger.

"Kya would never hurt me!"

Toph's face had a sad expression. It was driving Lin mad and made her worried at the same time. The worried voice was like an bucket of icy water for the chief.

"No she wouldn't. But you would."

Lin's jaw dropped and she fell back on the sand. Toph hesitated a moment, but then she took one of her daughters hands.

"You always did in such cases. You isolated yourself at your breakup with Tenzin. You did this after our big quarrel about Suyin and you're about to do this again and I'm not sure why."

Toph lowered her head to hide her blind eyes behind her gray hair, but Lin noticed the glittering line on her mother's cheek.

"I don't know my own daughter good enough to have an idea why she keeps pushing herself this way, but I want her to know, that I love her."

The old woman pulled Lin in another close hug with a quick move.

"I'm not good at this things, but I want you to know, that all I want to see is you being happy. You only have to fit your own standards, which means this is a pretty heavy task in your case."

Toph released her daughter out of her hug and faced her with tears in her eyes.

"You've noticed your own feelings for Kya, I can sense that. Even without my sight and my bending I could sense that. Your reaction was enough for anyone to see the truth."

She smiled at Lin, who had also tears in her eyes now.

"I cannot tell you what you should do, Lin. This choice is up to you, but I can assure you, that I'm at your side, no matter what your decision will be in the end. All I can offer is my opinion and I think that it is never a wise choice to ignore your own heart."

This time it was Lin, who pulled her mother into an embrace.

"I don't know, mom. I'm not sure what to do, but with Kya around I feel I can be... just Lin. I think it has always been so, but the attack on me... the kiss... this is all..."

"Confusing?"

It was a shy trembling voice from behind, but it let Lin's eyes shoot wide open. She was shaking as she released Toph to turn around to face the person behind her. Kya was standing some steps away from mother and daughter. She had her hair down and it seemed that the moonlight itself was glittering in her eyes. She smiled so warm at Lin, that the woman could feel butterflies in her stomach. This warm and swirling feeling made Lin drunken and dizzy, but she didn't want it to stop. She would have stumbled at standing up, if her mother wouldn't have helped her with her bending to maintain balance. The woman closed the distance to the waterbender, never breaking eye contact. She faintly noticed Kya nervously rubbing her hands as she finally had reached her.

"Kya, I was..."

The smile grew on the waterbenders face and so Lin wrapped her arms around her to pull her close, pressing her cheek at hers.

"Sorry for scaring you away. I didn't... It shouldn't sound so harsh, but..."

Kya's chuckle was like dipping honey, warm and sweet. Lin noticed, that her hands were shaking. She noticed the scent of Kya's hair, white roses and lavender. It made Lin light-headed. Her heart was racing much too fast as the waterbender brushed with her hands over her cheek until her thumb and index finger rested on Lin's chin. Kya leaned a bit back and both women faced each other. The warm smile of Kya was shining like the moon itself. Lin felt her chest raising and falling heavily, still there was something gnawing at this overwhelming feeling in her heart.

"But I don't know, where this feeling will lead me, Kya and I'm afraid what might happen, if I should find out, that we don't share the same road in the end."

Her voice fell and worries rushed over her face, still she maintained her grip around Kya's waist.

"I don't want to hurt you again."

Tears started to glitter in Kya's eyes, but her smile didn't fade, it grew only warmer, filled with love.

"No one knows this, Lin. But I want to find it out."

Kya leaned her head to Lin's face and placed a careful brushing kiss on the earthbender's lips.

"With you."

Lin was sure her heart had stopped a beat. For a moment she stood just there, trying to get control over this hurricane of emotions again. But this fire she felt inside, this warmth and shining light, which was fueling her, which allowed her to breath free was overwhelming. Lin melted in the kiss more and more, kissing Kya back, who was crying tears of joy just as Lin did now. The earthbender had no clue how long they had kissed in the moonlight, before they finally realized, that Toph was still sitting at the beach. The old woman was smiling satisfied at the couple and had tears in her eyes, but her voice was playful and mischievous as ever.

"How is the moon tonight?"

The quote forced out a little chuckle from Lin and Kya. Both looked at each other and the loving smiles they shared let the fire in Lin burning stronger. She turned back to Toph and her voice was thankful.

"The moon is wonderful tonight."

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**So, this was the final one for my gifting season. It'll be probably my last story for this year, so I want to say thank you again. Thank you to all who have inspired me, thank you for all the support and kindness and thank you to all of you, who have taken the time to read my stories and for all the favs, follows, reviews, bookmarks and Kudos. It has been aa wonderful year of writing for me thanks to all of you. And again a special Thank you to all these wonderful persons, I have gifted a story. All of you have impressed me so much. I wish all of you Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a wonderful time.**

**Yours gemsofformenos**


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